Pot 1 also comprises of other strong teams such as Japan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Indonesia, and the Republic of Korea.

The AFC recently announced a list of the region’s 47 national U23 teams divided into seed groups for the qualifier’s draw. Qualification matches are scheduled to be played in September, 2025, and the draw for the fixtures will be held in June, 2025.

A total of 15 leading teams will ultimately progress to the final round of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, joining hosts Saudi Arabia.